University Library Blogs

Read from a banned book, 9/24 in Lecture Center plaza

The UIC Library invites you to exercise your first amendment free speech rights by participating in its Banned Books Week Read Out! on Tuesday, September 24, noon to 2 p.m. in the Lecture Center plaza.

Students and faculty will read passages from favorite books that someone has tried to remove from public libraries or school curricula, such as:

Annie Pho, academic resident librarian, who is helping to plan the Read Out, encourages UIC students, staff, and faculty to celebrate their freedom to read. “Each year, several books are challenged or banned from schools and libraries across the nation because of sexual content, religious or political viewpoints, or the portrayal of social issues such as suicide or abortion,” she said. “Participating in the Read Out will help bring awareness of the censorship issues that we face in education and libraries. It’s a great opportunity to learn more and show your support for intellectual freedom.”

On Tuesday, take a seat to listen, read a controversial page from one of our selected banned books, or bring your favorite banned book to read from. Lists of banned books are available online.